Simple recipes are always loved. But it’s rare that a simple recipe makes you think, Huh? What?! I mean, you can be surprised at how easy a recipe is and what marvelous results it yields despite its ease. But how often are you surprised-surprised by a recipe? One that contains less than five ingredients yet tastes like it’s been cooking all day? And/or is comprised of many ingredients that you can’t put your finger on because they marry so harmoniously?

 

 

Enter Marcella Hazan’s famous tomato, onion and butter sauce. Reproduced by many of the big name bloggers, this pasta sauce makes jaws drop and tongues wag. A quick simmer of, wait for it, a can of tomatoes, one onion and some butter, leaves you with one of the most delicious and satisfying red sauces ever.

We’re raised on simple and perfect marinara and pomodoro sauces that usually start with garlic sautéed in olive oil, maybe with some onions, tomatoes and almost always with some form of fresh or dried herbage. That is red sauce.

 

 

Sorry, this is red sauce. And shockingly, there’s no garlic, no olive oil, no sautéing. Cut an onion in half, stick it in the saucepan with the tomatoes and the butter, read a few magazine articles, cook some pasta, and then eat the lusciousness that some people say doesn’t even need cheese. I couldn’t be that rebellious but encourage you to try.

 

Tomato, Onion and Butter Sauce
Adapted from Marcella Hazan

28 oz canned whole peeled tomatoes (the best that you can find, e.g., San Marzano)
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium-sized yellow onion, peeled and halved
Salt to taste
1 lb of pasta

Put the tomatoes, onion and butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Bring the sauce to a simmer then lower the heat to keep the sauce at a slow, steady simmer for about 45 minutes. Stir occasionally, crushing the tomatoes against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon. Remove from heat, discard the onion, and add salt to taste. Reduce heat to low while you prepare your pasta.

 

 

 

When I was looking for some salad inspiration, I ran across a crostini recipe by Jamie Oliver that I thought sounded rather unique as it brought together lemon, chilies and fresh mozzarella. To avoid more carbs at a pasta meal, I created a salad that followed a similar theme. Atop greens dressed in a balsamic vinaigrette, I added tomatoes, mozzarella and chopped chilies. I spooned more dressing over the top and then sprinkled with lemon zest.